5 weeks to go till I hit the start line of the Dublin Marathon

I must admit I am the first that would say listen to your body and listen to your team. But I must confess that as the Dublin half marathon date arrived I did the opposite. In the last few weeks my mileage went from 25 miles to 68 miles and my confidence rose, at the same time I started to become one with my running blade. At this time I also started to get pains from an old injury on my shin where I broke it 20 years ago .At first I said nothing thinking it would soon go , but instead it got worse and I could no longer hide it from the team . My Sports Injury Therapist Orla Smyth had spent the last 8 months keeping me in shape and injury free, so she was the first to realize that something was not right as she treated me . I never let on how bad it was but knowing her profession inside out I could not fool her for long .She asked me to pull back on the training to give the site a chance to heal , I agreed but deep down I knew that this was not an option for me . My Trainer / Coach Jason Kenny was soon also on my case to pull back from training and gave me other exercises to do which would work on my cardio while taking the pressure of my shin.  I agreed but again knew this was not an option. I am not a fool and didn,t think I knew best but it had taken me so long to tune my brain into running with the blade , this had been the hardest part the getting used to the sensation and I knew from research and by my own experience that if you go more than a few days without running on  the blade you lose the connection between blade, brain and stump . I can assure you its not like riding a bike . I had the Dublin Half Marathon only a week away and was told by my team that I was not to run . Like a bold child I agreed and the next day headed off to my Doctor for some pain killers, I felt that if I could just get this half marathon out the way , my confidence levels  would be high and I I could rest after.. As I stood on the start line with 5 min to go I texted Jason [trainer] to let him know where I was and apologized for my actions. As I crossed the start line I put myself hypnosis techniques into place and focused  on the positive with only the finish line in mind  … all was going well and the pain killers and anti inflammatory tablets were taking the edge off , until the 10 mile mark when the shins started to burn . I thought I was in trouble and would have to stop , but my running companion helped push me on and over the line in a time of 1hr and 48 min, Even tho I was glad we had finished I was disappointed with  the time . Once across the line I headed for my kit bag were I dosed up on my pills. Now I had to face the team as I knew they were going to stick me in the naughty corner when I got back. As much as I understand and respect their decisions and realise I have made their job even harder, I do think they also know why I had to cross this mile stone in our challenge .Now i have been given strict orders to put the blade away for at next  2 weeks and its in the pool for 3 to 4 hrs a day aqua jogging  [ they tell me its for recovery ,, its harder than running on the road ] also some Tibiallis stretching … I know this time I have been lucky.. Have I learned a lesson??

LISTEN TO YOUR BODY AND LISTEN TO YOUR TEAM …..

Simon arrived at Delta Sports Dome’s Altitude Gym on Friday to partake in an aerobic based circuit session with Andrew O Neill Bsc Sports & Exercise Science & Director of The Altitude Gym. The gym simulates training at Altitude by pumping hypoxic air into the room. This particular gym can simulate altitudes anywhere from sea- level to 5000m above sea level, this equates to oxygen levels of 21% to 11%.  Simon and his trainer Strength & Conditioning Coach Jason Kenny trained at 2800m or 15% oxygen levels. When the human body is exposed to reduced oxygen levels it struggles to produce the same amount of energy that it would at normal sea level conditions. This struggle means a host of physiological adaptations occur that enhance the bodies respiratory and cardio-vascular systems. In simple terms our aim is to get Simons body to utilise oxygen more efficiently and increase his V02 max in a smaller time period than would be required if training at sea level conditions as he is now only 7 weeks out from the marathon.

                                 Simon baseline heart rate and blood oxygen saturation (SpO2 ) levels were measured before he entered the gym. Simon completed a simple ramp test to see how susceptible he was to altitude, during this test his heart rate and (SpO2) levels were continually monitored. After a few minutes recovery the two boys started the session. This included 3 different sections:

Section 1 Treadmill: 6x 30sec on/ 30 sec off @ 16km/hr

2 min recovery

Section 2 Row: 6 x 150m rows (aim was to complete each one in under 30 sec) / 30 sec recovery after each one.

2min recovery

Section 3 Bike: 6 x 30sec on/ 30 sec off @ gear 15 and Aim was to stay over 130 RPM on each effort

5 min recovery/cool Down

Again throughout the session the guys SpO2 levels and Heart Rate were continually monitored. From this we noted Simon is capable of working at an intensity that drops his SpO2 % levels into the low 70’s. This is a testament to the athlete he has become and his training to date, as most athletes once they reach the lower 80’s tend to give up!  It was a joy working with Simon and seeing how driven he is to achieve his goal.

On the 25th of August Simon competed in the Dublin 10 Mile race in preparation for the Dublin Marathon. Simon completed this with a group of 12 people from IDS in cappagh Hospital. Simon ran with the group as they were there to support and encouarge his fantastic achievements to date and considering 90% of this group never ran before, so it was an amazing result for everyone involved. After much pressure Simon was forced to leave the group and to get in a good run. Considering a couple of pit stops to attend to his leg he did a good run in 1:24:44hrs. Well done to everyone involved and it's fantastic to see everyone making such a huge effort and being there to support Simon. Well done...!

Also this week Simon started increasing his miles. He knocked up a staggering 68miles. Simon is doing veryu well and is comfortable now with his leg. All the fine tunning has finally paid off and he is able to concentrate now on his runs. A few issues that have arisen is the issue with his shin on his left foot, with excess compensation and constant pounding it has left him with some discomfort around the tibia. With rest he is recovering well and using hot and cold packs has taken down the inflamation nicely. Alowing him to continue on with his training.